+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

[With people's memories (hopefully) back to normal, it's time for something different. This time, it's no blood ritual nor messing up with your heads that Kiseki has planned for everyone, no. Instead, it's something more relaxing this time. Fluffy, you could call it...



Everyone will be temporarily getting kigurumi, or animal-themed onesies for the non-weeaboo. That's right, you can fulfill your life-long dream of running around dressed as a kitty, or a mouse, or whatever else. Embrace Miracle Country and be an Usyagi, even!

What is the idea behind these cuddly shenanigans? Well, nothing too terrible. Hopefully you'll have fun with it. Or you'll loathe it and end up hiding in your room for the rest of the day. Perhaps you'll simply continue your usual routine while ignoring the change. Of course, should you want to get rid of them, you'll be able to, but any normal clothes will be temporarily gone from the world. But no worries! It'll all be replaced by... other kigurumis. You really can choose to be an Usyagi, if you'd like. You're welcome.]

[There's been time to rest and heal, after the recent events. Nothing to be concerned with, no magical flora to die for this time. The calm after the world stabilized itself continues through these days, and by all means, it looks like things are normal now. Nothing is attacking, the city looks the usual, the Usyagi still have one single expression...

And yet, something isn't quite right. As you go through your usual day, it'll be difficult not to notice... Maybe that friend of yours who always seems weighed down by their issues back home seems far too cheerful today. Or maybe your significant other is looking at you funny when you jokingly comment you're as good as married? Perhaps your usual sarcastic jokes about tragic events in your life are being met with exceedingly horrified, shocked looks. How about that person you can't stand who now doesn't even seem to recognize you or know why you shouldn't get along?

Perhaps it's not them, but you who is acting odd and doesn't realize it yet. Does something feel off? Is someone talking to you like you should know them better? Or differently? Do you even remember where you are?

What's happening, then? During the next couple of days, memories will be altered, removing significant moments in people's life from their minds. Had they achieved something? Saved someone else? Fought someone? Watched someone die, or died themselves? Had they made a big choice? Had they arrived somewhere important? Fallen in love? Were they witness to some very relevant event in their worlds? Had they formed a deeply important friendship while in this world? If it's crucial to their development, it's at risk of disappearing for a while. And with it, memories that match the loss. So perhaps you only forgot about one person, or one big event happening, or maybe you're so removed from things that you can't even recall arriving to Miracle Country in the first place.

Of course, what you forget isn't forgotten by others. So you can be told of these things you can't remember, should they wish to spoil you. Otherwise, it's simply a matter of waiting for those memories to come back - and they will, even if some might take a little longer than others.]


[[No spoilers event! Mingle as you'd like!]]

[This new world is holding up. With the warriors fighting the monsters attacking, and the priests and priestesses giving their own power to heal the sakura, the crumbling world recovered enough so that it would not collapse entirely. The sky cleared up a bit, the buildings are now staying in place... It's tiring, though. Battle after battle, the loss of energy, people's blood being spilt. You should be able to tell by now, you won't manage to hold on forever. Something has to change. Something has to give in.

When the ground shakes, and the largest creatures so far make their appearance, it feels like the answer - they're heading straight to the biggest tree in the middle of it all. Grab your weapons, or be ready to give up your life energy, and meet them there, hopefully for the last time. It won't be the only thing to change. In the middle of the battle, and with the help of those able to aid it, the central tree's power will grow stronger, and stronger, until it overflows, its magic too large for it to contain. The tree will break, releasing a darkness that will trap everyone, swallow them into the tree itself...

... And then you'll wake up. The fighting is over, things are silent now, and you'll find yourselves in beds scattered across the usual Miracle Country, covered in sakura petals. For those who were injured, fighting or protecting the trees, they'll find that they've been bandaged up, the energy given up by others having acted as a price for the cure. Were you asleep for a while? You'll feel fine now, aside from the lingering injuries that will already start to heal faster than should be possible. You may get up, leave the beds, and look around. Everything looks normal - the tree is back at its usual place, strong and unmarked, in full bloom as always. The other trees are blooming just as pink for the day.

Don't think your efforts went unnoticed. The general peaceful atmosphere appears to make it easier to rest comfortably and heal, for those who need it. The clothes and weapons you used are now yours to keep, fixed up and good as new. The rooms at the hotel are all freshened up and sparkly clean, ready to receive their usual guests - you'll find fresh flowers set up near windows, nicer bedsheets and towels, and so on. There are picnic clothes and baskets set out around the islands, near the beds or the temporarily all-pink trees, where you can enjoy a meal with others, if you'd like. Even the Usyagi, usually distant and strange, seem cheerful today, floating around and giving away colorful balloons to people (and look around - if you get one that looks like it shines, you'll have a good dream that night).

Of course, it's April 1st! A day for celebration in this world. Welcome back.]

[[Our Sacred Sakura event ends! Happy CLAMP day!!]]

[Things seem more settled now – the last few days peaceful enough, save for the monsters on the other side of the barrier. It’s a peaceful enough night now, the stars out, the moon shining low over the sakura.

Except, something feels off. Maybe you’ve felt it the last few days: the monsters are stronger. Or, the barrier is weaker. Or maybe it’s a mixture of both. Those monsters that have broken past the barrier don’t seem to be aiming for you – but then what are they aiming for?

In the meantime, the sakuras are fading away. Perhaps it’s subtle enough to miss at first, but some of the smaller ones nearer the barrier are fading out, the petals turning bone-white. The largest sakura at the center of the city is still pink, but it’s clearly fading in color.

And all around you, things are crumbling. The river is flowing a little sluggishly, with less fish than before. The crops in the field are starting to rot from the roots outward. The buildings around you are starting to crumble.

It’s not an entire disaster, though. Those basic weapons you had at the start? They’re evolving, too – and at least they aren’t crumbling around you like everything else. No, the more monsters you destroy, the sturdier your weapons are.

But what about those who weren’t given a weapon? Now that the monster attacks are growing stronger, the barrier growing weaker, it might become clear to you that your skills are – not helpful against fighting the monsters. In fact, anything you try to do is just useless against them.

But those without weapons – perhaps you’re starting to feel what your place in all this is. As a priest or priestess to the sakura, you’re responsible for protecting them – so even if you don’t have the sword, you can always be the shield: protect the trees, at all costs, or else all is lost. The sakura need to be protected.

The monster attacks are increasing, the sakura are losing their color, the world around you is crumbling, and the clear, calm nights are slowly slipping away – are those thunderclouds in the distance? Whatever’s happening, might be best to figure it out quickly.]

[At first, the change might not seem as immediate – there is, after all, the giant Sakura in the center of the park, still visible and still large and blooming. But today, all the trees seem to be sakura, surrounding the area and everywhere you look. It’ll soon be clear that you are no longer in the Miracle Country you know and love.

The city isn’t as you know it. Gone are the more modern-style houses and replaced with an ancient Japanese aesthetic. The sakura curve around the paths, made of stone, little streams of water and sakura blossoms falling to line the way.

And for those sensitive to magic, you’ll notice the giant barrier right away. It branches out from the giant sakura in the center of the town. Even those who can’t sense magic will be able to tell this is an old and powerful tree – it emanates its aura, the barrier strong and expansive. Seems simple enough, right?

In fact, this new ‘world’ seems idyllic in many ways. There are fields to plant crops, some vegetables already ready to harvest. The river remains, full of fish just waiting to be caught. The houses are in good repair and there’s enough supplies for everyone. The sun is shining, and it’s a warm spring day. Maybe despite yourself, you have to feel cheerful – it’s hard to see something so peaceful and lovely and not feel a simple joy with it, after all.

Well, except for the part where if you step out beyond the barriers held up by the sakura trees, you’ll find monsters lurking, just waiting to attack. And if they get past the barrier – which is known to happen – they’re aiming for one thing: sakura. They’ll do everything they can to get to them – destroying them or consuming them.

Thankfully for right now, these monsters are weak – and don’t show up that often. The barrier is strong enough to keep them out, after all, and they’re easily dispatched. And you aren’t going to necessarily know the connection between the trees and the monsters. It’s still too early to tell – if anything, it’s easy to mistake the monster’s intent: surely they’d be after the people, right? You should protect them. You'll find some basic weaponry in the houses around you - just basic-level swords or bows, nothing too fancy but it'll get the job done.

How do you fit into this, then? Characters are sorted as warriors or as priests/priestesses. The warriors are in charge of fighting the monsters that come through and the priest/priestesses are responsible for keeping the barriers strong. Warriors are unable to affect the barriers on their own just as priest/priestesses are unable to fight against the monsters with any sort of success. You’ll know which one you’ve been sorted into based on the outfits you’ll suddenly find yourself in – appropriately, the warriors will have more samurai-like garb while the priest/priestesses have outfits inspired by traditional miko.

For now, your purpose isn’t entirely clear. It seems you should be making the best of the situation you’re in: if anything, it’s like a mini-vacation. So long as you stay inside the barrier, you should be perfectly safe.]


[[ooc: our sacred sakura event begins! The event plotting post is here if you need a refresher. Other logs will be up during the timeline to show the advancement of the event. Keep in mind that things are relatively calm and peaceful at this point and the character would not know their role in everything just yet.]]

[Lately it’s been a couple of days to get closer to each other, to get to know others, make friends. Whether it’s by sitting in a pool of soup together or cooking chocolate for Valentine’s Day, Kiseki loves to have its residents bonding with each other. And with White Day starting… well, it’s not like there had to be a reason to make something happen, but it’s always nicer when that’s the case, isn’t it?

So today, everyone will wake up with white strings around their fingers. They are long, long enough that following them might take some time. Each string represents a bond, a friendship, and to people that have a lot of friends they might soon notice that having so many strings is… quite bothersome, to say the least. They might get tangled or stuck on something and of course it’s not possible to just cut them and be done with it: they are a physical representation of a bond, after all. But luckily, the Usyagi have a solution to your problem! Soon they’ll appear everywhere with little signs, telling people that the strings will go away if they find the person it connects to and proves their friendship. So gifts, a hug, nice words, hanging out, anything is fair game.]

[Replay of the white string of fate event in honor of white day. Haha, get it? Either way, have a mingle!]

[On this fine afternoon, the residents of the hotel will find a notice board right outside the hotel, and written in large block-letters, it reads the following:]



[Stiles has been hard at work -- there are many things he would love to learn about different places, especially everything he can use to add to the bestiary he has been compiling... and dragons seems like a good place to start.

So mark down your answer in the right column, read what others have already written down, maybe add in your own two cents about what you think of dragons or what their role is in your world, or just shake your head at this if you see no point to the whole thing. The word is, after all, free.]

( ooc: this is a mingle log so use it to your heart's content!! stiles will be hanging around and reading the responses every few hours, he has a top level HERE where you can approach him about this whole thing if you're so inclined. )

[Pink and fluff everywhere, that's the sight that might greet you today, as you find yourself in one of the many kiddy pool-like pits around Kiseki. Well, not just pink, but we like to shove pink at your faces. Yes, it could be full of marshmallows. But perhaps the little pool you're in has plastic balls in it, like the ballpit at the playground. Maybe it's full of mud. Or flowers. Or cupcakes. Or cottonballs. Or jell-o. Some actually have water in them!

But worry not! (You weren't worried? Even better) You're not alone in them. You'll end up with someone else, it's the whole point of them. You and your companion might notice, all the little pools have a sign saying:

"Find common ground."

What does that mean? Precisely that! You won't be able to leave the pool until you find something in common with the person you're sharing it with. Then, the contents will disappear, and once it's all gone, you'll be able to leave. Maybe you'll need to find more than one thing in common, if you're very similar people. These pools can be picky. And tricky, given that even if you've managed to get free, you might find yourself in yet another of those, with someone else...

In case you're growing bored in them, the content of the pool will change randomly every now and then - so maybe you're perfectly comfortable in a sea of nice cushions, only to then find yourself sitting in fresh paint. At least, Miracle Country will make sure to clean you up once you're out of it, or when the content of the pools changes... sometimes, that is. Enjoy!]

[If you don't happen to walk by these two while they hang out near the fountain in the shopping district, Bull sitting down with Dorian draped across his lap as he usually does, maybe you're watching the journal record a video of it. At first it seems they're having a vaguely serious sort of chat. The journal’s started to record about halfway through Bull’s response, and he’s clearly very excited about whatever it is he’s talking about – he’s grinning and petting through Dorian’s hair, looking completely relaxed]
( And then there's chatter )

[[... Silliness. Let us know if you want one or the other, or both, in the tags!]]

[Now that everyone got to enjoy looking pretty and fancy for a while, it's time for some silliness - not in the form of failed attempts at baking or terrible craft-making.

This time, people will get... sweaters. Yes, as simple as that. Fluffy, warm, cute, and they're even useful, given the time of the year, so what's the catch? Well, for people who qualify for it, the sweaters will magically display a knitted pattern with nicknames the character has. Do they go by many different names? Perhaps a title? The pattern will change accordingly! Do they have no nicknames at all? Too bad, no cute sweaters for you. Perhaps it's time you try and find one.

Is your nickname embarrassing and you'd rather not have it displayed in front of everyone? Oh, but of course, you can't take the sweaters off. That is to say, you can, but it'll reappear where it was. You'll have to endure it for a while - they'll be fully removable by the time the day ends.]